Refrigerator cabinet



Dec. 26, 1967 R. J. CREECH REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed May 2, 1966INVENTOR.

J. CREECH.

RAYMOND wzzzw ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,359,755 REFRIGERATOR CABINET Raymond J. Creech,Tyler, Tex., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 546,931 4 Claims.(Cl. 62-441) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A refrigerator apparatus of thetype having two compartments, each with an individual access door,having a check valve control designed to close the air passage leadingfrom one compartment to the second compartment at the occurrence of apressure surge in one compartment to prevent the door to the secondcompartment from being forced open.

This invention relates to a cabinet for refrigerating apparatus and,more particularly, to a cabinet usable in combinationrefrigerator-freezer units.

In refrigerating units such as combination refrigeratorfreezers, thecabinet thereof is partitioned into refrigerator and freezercompartments each with its own access door. These doors are normallyheld closed by a magnetic type latch. Where a single cooling component,for example, an evaporator coil, is used, the evaporator coil isnormally placed in the freezer compartment and one or more passages inthe cabinet permit circulation of cold air from the evaporator coil toboth freezer and refrigerator compartments. In this type of unit,however, closure of the door to one compartment, for example, therefrigerator compartment, often creates a pressure surge sufiicient toovercome the magnetic latch holding the door to the other compartmentclosed causing the door to that compartment to pop open.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved cabinet construction for refrigerating apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cabinetconstruction for a two-door combination refrigerator-freezer unitincorporating an arrangement for preventing opening of one door uponclosure of the other door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement forinterrupting the passage connecting refrigerator and freezercompartments in a combination refrigerator-freezer apparatus on theoccurrence of a pressure surge in one compartment to delay transmittalof the pressure surge to the other compartment.

This invention relates to a two compartment refrigerating apparatuscomprising in combination, cabinet means forming an insulated chamber,the cabinet means including a partition separating the chamber intoindividual first and second refrigerating compartments and doorspermitting access to each of the first and second compartments;refrigeration means including an evaporator arranged in the insulatedchamber; means for circulating cold air from the evaporator to thecompartments, the cold air circulating means including a passagecommunicating the first compartment with the second compartment; andmeans adapted to prevent the pressure surge created in one of thecompartments by closure of the door thereto from forcing open the doorof the other of the compartments, the pressure surge preventing meansincluding a valve arranged to close the passage in response to thepressure surge.

Other objects and advantages will be perceived from the ensuingdescription and drawing in which the figure is a view partly in sectionof a combination two-door re- 3,359,755 Patented Dec. 26, 1967frigerator-freezer apparatus incorporating the cabinet construction ofthe present invention.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a combinationrefrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 incorporating the door controlarrangement of the present invention. The refrigerator-freezer apparatus10 includes a double-walled shell or cabinet 12 which may be providedwith a suitable decorative finish on the exterior walls thereof. Asuitable thermal insulation, for example, polystyrene foam 14, isdisposed between the walls of cabinet 12. An insulated partition 16separates cabinet 12 into upper refrigerator compartment 20 and lowerfreezer compartment 22. Refrigerator and freezer compartment doors 25,26, which may be double-walled with insulation 14 between the wallsthereof, are provided. Doors 25, 26 are suitably hinged to cabinet 12 topermit access to refrigerator and freezer compartments 20, 22respectively.

In the refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 illustrated, refrigeratorcompartment 20 is larger than freezer compartment 22. Access door 25 torefrigerator compartment 7 20 is correspondingly larger than door 26 offreezer compartment 22. The relative sizes of refrigerator and freezercompartments 20, 22 respectively may vary and freezer compartment 22,and door 26, thereof, may be equal in size or larger than refrigeratorcompartment 20, and door 25 thereof. Although a particular type ofcooling device, a combination refrigerator-freezer, is illustrated anddescribed, any compartmentized cooling device with separate doors foreach compartment may be envisioned.

Refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 includes a refrigera- 1 tion system'30 with compressor 31, condenser 32, capillary 33, and evaporator 34.Evaporator 34 may be arranged within freezer compartment 22 adjacentrear wall 36 of cabinet 12 and behind panel 37. Panel 37 cooperates withwall 36 of cabinet 12 to form a passage 39 through which air to bechilled is brought into heat exchange relation with evaporator 34. Fan40 circulates air drawn from refrigerator and freezer compartments 20,22 respectively through passage 39 acros evaporator 34, cold airdischarging from passage 39 into the lower part of freezer compartment22.

Partition 16 has an opening 43 therethrough at the junction of partitionmember 16 with wall 36 of cabinet 12. U-shaped member 45 extends throughopening 43 into compartment 20. Member 45 tightly engages wall 36 ofcabinet 12 to form therewith a passage 46 leading from compartment 22into the upper part of refrigerator compartment 20. Return air opening50 in partition 16 communicates refrigerator compartment 20 with freezercompartment 22. Opening 50 permits return flow of air from refrigeratorcompartment 20 to fan 40.

Fan 40, when actuated, discharges air drawn from freezer compartment 22and, by means of return air passage 50, from refrigerator compartment 20into passages 39, 46. Air flowing through passage 39 is chilled byevaporator 34 and is discharged into the lower part of freezercompartment 22. A damper 48, responsive to temperature conditions withinrefrigerator compartment 20, regulates the quantity of air dischargedfrom passage 46 into compartment 20. A suitable control circuit (notshown) for energizing compressor 31 and fan 40 in response to thecooling demands of the refrigerator-freezer apparatus 10 is provided.

In the combination refrigerator-freezer apparatus of the type shown, airtrapped within compartment 20 by closure of door 25 creates,particularly when door 25 is rapidly closed or slammed, a relativelyhigh pressure surge within compartments 20, 22. While the pressure surgeoccasioned by closure of door 25 is soon dissipated within the apparatus10, the pressure surge may cause freezer compartment door 26 to popopen.

To inhibit transmittal of the pressure surge generated by closure ofrefrigerator compartment door 25 to freezer compartment 22, pressureresponsive check valve 55 is arranged in return air passage 50. Checkvalve 55, which is held open by spring 56, closes when pressures withinrefrigerator compartment 20 exceed pressures in freezer compartment 22by an amount predetermined by the pressure bias of spring 56. Spring 56is selected to maintain valve 55 open during the normal operatingpressure conditions prevailing in compartments 219, 22. On a pressuresurge in refrigerator compartment 20 created by closure of door 25thereto, valve 55 closes passage 50 and prevents transmittal of thepressure surge to freezer compartment 22.

Passage 46, which communicates the upper part of refrigeratorcompartment 20 with freezer compartment 22 and fan 40, has, relative toreturn air opening 50, a substantial length which effectively delaystransmittal of the pressure surge therethrough from refrigeratorcompartment 20 to freezer compartment 22. Passage 46, by virtue of itsrelatively small size when compared to the size of compartment 20, helpsdissipate the pressure surge by permitting the relatively high pressuregas in compartment 20 to bleed into freezer compartment 22.

It is understood that a second check valve may be provided to closereturn air passage 50 at the occurrence of a pressure surge in freezercompartment 22 created by the closure of door 26 thereto in place of orin addition to check valve 55. Where it is desired to preventtransmittal of door generated pressure surges from either compartment20, 22 to the other compartment, a single double acting check valvecontrol may be provided for return air passage 50.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it willbe understood that my invention is not limited thereto since it may beotherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a two compartment refrigerating apparatus, the combination ofcabinet means forming an insulated chamber, said cabinet means includinga partition separating said chamber into individual first and secondrefrigerating compartments, and doors permitting access to each of saidfirst and second compartments; refrigeration means including anevaporator arranged in said insulated chamber; means for circulatingcold air from said evaporator to said compartments, said cold aircirculating means including a passage communicating said firstcompartment with said second compartment; and means adapted to preventthe pressure surge created in one of said compartments by closure of thedoor thereto from forcing open the door of the other of saidcompartments, said pressure surge preventing means including a valvearranged to close said passage in response to said pressure surge.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said cold air circulatingmeans passage is in said partition.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cold air circulatingmeans includes a fan in said second compartment, and a second passageleading from said fan through said partition into a region of said firstcompartment remote from said partition, the length of said secondpassage being substantially greater than the length of said firstpassage whereby transmittal of said pressure surge from said onecompartment through said second passage to said other compartment isdelayed to enable said pressure surge to dissipate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including magnetic means forholding said compartment doors closed, said first refrigeratingcompartment being sized substantially larger than said secondrefrigerating compartment, said valve comprising a check valve disposedbetween said first compartment and said passage with spring meansopposing closing of said check valve, a pressure surge in said firstcompartment overcoming said spring means to close said valve andinterrupt said passage to prevent transmittal of said pressure surge tosaid second compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,546,363 3/1951 Jaeger 62447 X2,595,874 5/1952 Nason 62-447 X 3,812,642 11/1957 Jacobs 62441 X3,004,400 10/1961 Mann et al 62-441 X LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A TWO COMPARTMENT REFRIGERATION APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OFCABINET MEANS FORMING AN INSULATED CHAMBER, SAID CABINET MEANS INCLUDINGA PARTITION SEPARATING SAID CHAMBER INTO INDIVIDUAL FIRST AND SECONDREFRIGERATING COMPARTMENTS, AND DOORS PERMITTING ACCESS TO EACH OF SAIDFIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS; REFRIGERATION MEANS INCLUDING ANEVAPORATOR ARRANGED IN SAID INSULATED CHAMBER; MEANS FOR CIRCULATINGCOLD AIR FROM SAID EVAPORATOR TO SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID COLD AIRCIRCULATING MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING SAID FIRSTCOMPARTMENT WITH SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT; AND MEANS ADAPTED TO PREVENTTHE PRESSURE SURGE CREATED IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS BY CLOSURE OF THEDOOR THERETO FROM FORCING OPEN THE DOOR OF THE OTHER OF SAIDCOMPARTMENTS, SAID PRESSURE SURGE PREVENTING MEANS INCLUDING A VALVEARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGE IN RESPONSE TO SAID PRESSURE SURGE.